From the excellent book "How Artists Work" : "The Benzedrine helped Rand push through the last stages of The Fountainhead, but it soon became a crutch. She would continue to use amphetamines for the next three decades, even as her overuse led to mood swings, irritability, emotional outbursts, and paranoia—traits Rand was susceptible to even without drugs."
She was on speed, that sure explains a lot, doesn't it?
“She had not slept for two nights, but she could not permit herself to sleep; she had too many problems to consider and not enough time…she would not sleep, she thought; she could last until tomorrow night.”
-Ayn Rand, introducing Dagny Taggart, aka a paragraph that nearly killed me, I am not speaking figuratively
Another good entry Laura! One quibble - I don't think we can still say that people take nursing jobs primarily because they want to help people. Across rural America it's viewed as The Way Out of Poverty, especially for women. With that shift, rural attitudes like vaccine skepticism and anti-trans mindsets have begun to creep like an infection into the industry. That's not to say they don't deserve a raise, because they do, but honestly I just don't see the profession as all that noble anymore.
That's very fair. I've been very disturbed by the anti-vaxx nurses thing, and the mean nurse TikTok phenomenon. I will say: I WISH transphobia was a rural attitude. I really, really wish it wasn't endemic to our society.
I like to think they're still a minority, and that the whole "don't strike because people might die" mentality still affects the profession overall (and union leadership, which has presumably been around longer) but who knows. Things fall apart...
I spent a week in the hospital last year, and while I'm sure the doctors had some input, it was the nurses, lab techs and janitors who took really good care of me. They are all friggin saints in my book (I was fortunate not to have any of the anti-vaxx or anti-trans variety mentioned here). They most definitely deserve more than $25 an hour.
When you're done with you're re-read I suggest you check out God Awful Movies podcast review of the three part movie terrible adaptation of Atlas Shrugged. Where the entire cast was recast between each movie as the budget shrunk.
I am kind of excited by the idea of you going through the book and adding your thoughts though especially since you have more understanding of the ideology it's built on.
Omg I might do it before I finish--it's going to be months. I've read a bit about the adaptations, starkly refuse to watch them, but a recap by a podcast entitled God Awful Movies? Inject it into my veins
GAM usually aims at Christian themed bad movies but when they dip their toes into politics or whatever it's frequently some of the funniest stuff I've heard. Their episodes on Mike Lindell's "Docu-movies" are some of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. At one point someone who is having their voice modulated farts on camera... and they didn't cut that out of the soundtrack so the fart gets modulated... I love GAM.
I do a thing where I watch YouTube movies while I get ready for bed and mostly it's been stand-up lately but now it's this. It's 100% this for the forseeable future
From the excellent book "How Artists Work" : "The Benzedrine helped Rand push through the last stages of The Fountainhead, but it soon became a crutch. She would continue to use amphetamines for the next three decades, even as her overuse led to mood swings, irritability, emotional outbursts, and paranoia—traits Rand was susceptible to even without drugs."
She was on speed, that sure explains a lot, doesn't it?
It sure does!! Not enough people know this!!
“She had not slept for two nights, but she could not permit herself to sleep; she had too many problems to consider and not enough time…she would not sleep, she thought; she could last until tomorrow night.”
-Ayn Rand, introducing Dagny Taggart, aka a paragraph that nearly killed me, I am not speaking figuratively
Another good entry Laura! One quibble - I don't think we can still say that people take nursing jobs primarily because they want to help people. Across rural America it's viewed as The Way Out of Poverty, especially for women. With that shift, rural attitudes like vaccine skepticism and anti-trans mindsets have begun to creep like an infection into the industry. That's not to say they don't deserve a raise, because they do, but honestly I just don't see the profession as all that noble anymore.
That's very fair. I've been very disturbed by the anti-vaxx nurses thing, and the mean nurse TikTok phenomenon. I will say: I WISH transphobia was a rural attitude. I really, really wish it wasn't endemic to our society.
I like to think they're still a minority, and that the whole "don't strike because people might die" mentality still affects the profession overall (and union leadership, which has presumably been around longer) but who knows. Things fall apart...
Ayn Rand was a wicked bitch. But you are the Good Witch who waves her Magical
Words Wand, and makes garbage disappear!
This was a good read.
I spent a week in the hospital last year, and while I'm sure the doctors had some input, it was the nurses, lab techs and janitors who took really good care of me. They are all friggin saints in my book (I was fortunate not to have any of the anti-vaxx or anti-trans variety mentioned here). They most definitely deserve more than $25 an hour.
That's definitely been my experience 95% of the time
I'd have a lot harder time having sympathy for a doctor's strike, honestly
When you're done with you're re-read I suggest you check out God Awful Movies podcast review of the three part movie terrible adaptation of Atlas Shrugged. Where the entire cast was recast between each movie as the budget shrunk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIiOug98wtU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL0OCK1lhSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76xXt5LLdGs
I am kind of excited by the idea of you going through the book and adding your thoughts though especially since you have more understanding of the ideology it's built on.
Omg I might do it before I finish--it's going to be months. I've read a bit about the adaptations, starkly refuse to watch them, but a recap by a podcast entitled God Awful Movies? Inject it into my veins
GAM usually aims at Christian themed bad movies but when they dip their toes into politics or whatever it's frequently some of the funniest stuff I've heard. Their episodes on Mike Lindell's "Docu-movies" are some of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. At one point someone who is having their voice modulated farts on camera... and they didn't cut that out of the soundtrack so the fart gets modulated... I love GAM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3VvkG_QgtA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E63v1vD1XWw
I do a thing where I watch YouTube movies while I get ready for bed and mostly it's been stand-up lately but now it's this. It's 100% this for the forseeable future
You've just made me so happy! I love podcasts, and this one is definitely going on my list.
UPDATE: OMFG it's so good so perfect so cathartic